Kelty Vortex 2 Review

"Buy this tent I've had mine for 7plus years and still going strong. no problems. i have had it in alot of conditions including a foot of snow over night. and taking off boots out side and them staying dry is really nice."

"I love the space (enough for my wife & me & our son). The vestibules are comparitively enormous; great for gear, taking off wet boots before getting in without being rained on, cooking in harsh conditions, air flow etc... I recommend a light ground cloth cut to extend into the vestibules, this helps keep grass/mud/sand out! I had problems with condensation. E-mailed Kelty and they never responded. Then I tried leaving the windows down 1/2 way, problem solved! It seems to work since the rainfly keeps the elements out. I wrap the whole thing up, ground cloth, tent & fly (still buckled in place) and it sets up next time in less than two minutes. I recommend guying out the sides of the fly, this seems to help with ventilation a lot when the fly is totaly zipped up. If I could have a few extras I would prefer a peak vent, as well as a window in the fly, however, this tent has performed better than any other tent I've owned. My son and I were just in a rainstorm where the rain was blowing sideways all night, most of the day, and the next night. We were completely dry! Cooked under the vestibule eating good food, reading books, playing games while every other camper, (including the motorhomes) left and went home! I noticed the trailers were trying to stop leaks in their roofs! It was kind of funny. There is so much room in this tent, we just had a great- dry time! My wife and I have slept in similar conditions and were very confident with it's ability to withstand some pretty mean wind and rain. It even hailed pretty hard -never a problem...
I recommend this tent to anyone who wants a 2+ tent and is willing to pack the 6 1/2 lbs. I wouldn't mind it a little lighter, but once it's up and we're in, the room and stability sure seem worth the weight... Great tent, I'm more than satisfied!!! P.S. I got it from Campmor for $129! The only difference is theirs is a previous model with netting for the pole sleeves. I guess they had some sent back because the netting got ripped with the poles. I actualy like the netting, it helps a lot with air flow and I've never had a problem with the poles; even when I run them through blind with the fly on... I liked saving the $100 for a feature I prefer! Besides that, everything else is the same...I'll shut up now..."

"This 3 and half season tent is excellent. Great rain fly, sturdy alum poles, roomy interior for a 6'3 person. It got me through a nasty storm while backpacking at Canaveral Nat'l Seashore in FL. Winds of 50mph (with higher gusts), horizontally-driven pouring rain, and the tent held its own. The rain fly is very aerodynamic for high winds. The poles are strong. Inside was as dry as a desert. Very light for backpacking. Fits two tall people easily, with two huge vestibules for gear.This is a great tent for the money, and very a underrated product. Highly recommended."

"The Vortex 2 is a splendid use of a couple hundred bucks if you're in the market for a tent. It's light and durable — a great utilitarian tent. But it also has a few little perks like the gear loft and doors on each side of the tent so you don't have to climb over your partner to enjoy the outdoors. In two words: GREAT VALUE."

"My wfe and I really like our Vortex 2. It has withstood many weather tests over the past 5 years. Even the devastating storms that ripped through Tenn. and North Carolina a couple of Aprils ago. We were in the North Carolina side of the Smokies when the storms came through causing extensive damge all around us. We were told later that there were even tornados involved. The Cherokee County police came by looking for stranded backpackers, but we and the Kelty were fine. Rather, the Kelty was fine, but we were quite weary from a night of wondering whether we would survive or not (there was also plenty of praying going on). However, the Vortex was not able to withstand the teeth of an irrate northern New Hampshire squirrel last August."

"I echo all of the statements made about the Vortex 2 so far. I have had the tent for 4-5 years and have found it more than adequate, in fact, it is perfect. It has all the features and more of tents that cost significantly more, yet it is just as durable and packable. The vestibule (2 of them, actually, one on each side) is great for storing gear on wet nights, but is designed to maximize air-flow on hot still nights by leaving the vestibules open. I think Kelty's website has a good illustration about how it does this. Anyway, on a hot still humid night, you want this kind of feature! Plenty of room inside for 2 full size adults and some gear, and very easy to set up when you get to your site (one person can set it up alone in under five minutes). My only complaint about my tent... I don't get to use it nearly as much as I want to!!! As said in an earlier review... GREAT BUY!!!"

"Great tent!! EASY set-up. The huge vestibules on each side are nice.

Had it sitting near the Colorado River at Lee's Ferry one night, probably 60 out. Was fine with windows open. Was great with temps in teens at Winter Park a few nights later. Althought there was condensation. As mentioned elsewhere here, I assume it would be OK with windows cracked a bit.

Great tent!!"

"The Kelty Vortex 2 gives you the best value for your dollar. I recently spent a week camping in Cape Hatteras, NC and was very satisfied with how well the tent withstood all the rain and wind. It is by far one of the easiest tents to set-up and has an abundance of technical features so you have less to worry about at night. The only downside is the footprint which takes up a lot of space considering you have 2 vestibules. If you have the ground clearance then you will have no problems, otherwise be prepared! This is by far the best tent I have ever owned."

"This is a solid tent! I love the two doors and twin vestibules. The only down side is the weight (~6.5 lbs), but that's a fair trade off for a roomy tent with vestibules to hold all your gears."

"I love my Vortex 2 tent! My son and I were at a cub scout campout in TN and on Friday night we were caught in a extremely bad storm (tornado weather) and the tent stood like a fortress. Not one drop of water got into the tent except for a little condensation. I love the two doors and vestibules. The easy set-up is wonderful. Thanks Kelty!"

"Just to add my chorus to the admiration club here. The Kelty Vortex series is top-notch. I have had both the 2 and the 4. Both are excellent 3 season tents, allowing for adequate ventilation in the summer and button down fantastically in the worst weather I have ever run across. Quality is excellent and the pricing right now is great. This is a bargain of the highest order. I have spent many a gloating morning making this same recommendation to my fellow campers after an all night rain storm that sees them ringing out their belongings in the wee hours."

"Vortex 2 is a solid tent. I've been pleased with how it's stood up to wind and rain. The windows on the rainfly add a lot of light, and I love how they tint when the sun hits directly. Generally, I've had the same positive experiences as the other reviewers: weathertight, nice vestibules, good space-to-weight ratios. My complaints are more of the head-scratcher variety: why didn't they put door tiebacks in my model (2002), and what's with those Flyboy anchors? They seem like a cool concept, but are difficult to clamp into place. The tent does just fine with them unclamped, so I've generally only used them when the weather looks really bad.

Bottom line: solid backpacking tent with lots of space if you don't mind an extra pound."

"I actually had a previous model, the V2. Essentially the same tent, but with mesh pole sleeves. All I can say is its been a wonderful tent. It has seen use since 1999, and has been slept in over 180 nights. It has never leaked, and does well down to the teens in the colorado high country. The only wear it shows was an accidental 2 inch cut (from a hatchet)on the rain fly. That was two years ago, and even the small tear hasnt frayed. It has withstood wind gusts over 50 mph in Wyoming and has weathered severe thunderstorms on the Atlantic coast numerous times witout a leak (Though I do use a footprint and I would imagine that helps as well). Though a little heavier than some at 6.5 pounds, its still
an amazing value, and really seems to last. I would buy another in a second, though it seems I may never have to."